Golf thumb brush tool

ABSTRACT

A device comprises a top portion defining a space adapted to accommodate a finger of a user, and a bottom portion configured to securely fasten to the top portion and sandwich a towel therebetween, the bottom portion including a bottom surface having a plurality of bristles.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/886,773, filed on Oct. 4, 2013.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to an accessory used in the sport of golf, and more particularly to a golf thumb brush tool that may be used to clean golf implements, including golf club, golf balls, golf shoes, and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a golf thumb brush tool attached to a towel;

FIG. 2 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a golf thumb brush tool adapted to be attached to a towel;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of a golf thumb brush tool adapted to be attached to a towel;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a side views of an exemplary embodiment of a golf thumb brush tool adapted to be attached to a towel; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a golf thumb brush tool adapted to be attached to a towel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawing figures, FIGS. 1-5, various views show an exemplary embodiment of a golf thumb brush tool 10 that may be attached to a towel 12, or another type of fabric or flexible material. The golf thumb brush tool 10 generally comprises a top portion 14 and a bottom portion 16 that may be attached to a towel 12 by sandwiching the towel between the two portions. Golfers that play the sport regularly generally have one or two favorite towels fastened to their golf bags that they use to wipe off dirt and debris from their golf implements. The golf thumb brush tool 10 is designed to fastened to a corner of a towel for ease and convenience of use.

The golf thumb brush tool 10 may have a generally oval shape, as shown in the figures, but other configurations such as rectangular, circular, triangular, square, etc. are also contemplated. The top portion 14 of the golf thumb brush tool 10 includes a thumb grip 18 with a cover or thumb guard 20 at least partially covering a thumb pad 22 that may have a textured surface 24 to enable a secure grip by an inserted thumb. The textured surface 24 may be constructed of rubberized materials or a grooved pattern, etc. A pointed cleaning tool 26, preferably constructed out of metal, plastic, or another suitable stiff material, is disposed at and protruding from the front end of the top portion 18 of the golf thumb brush tool 10. The pointed cleaning tool 26 is primarily designed for cleaning grooved surfaces, such as a club face, or shoe bottom sole, for example.

A ball marker 28 is further detachably fastened or fitted in a recess formed on top of the thumb guard 20. The ball marker 28 may be imprinted with a company, logo, school mascot, golf resort or club name, or a graphic design. The ball marker 28 may be fastened to the thumb guard 20 by employing a magnetic material embedded in the thumb guard 20. The magnetic material need not cover the entire area of the recess, but have a sufficient surface area to ensure a secure grip on the ball marker 28. Alternatively, other suitable devices such as a snap mechanism may be used to secure the ball marker 28 to the tool.

The bottom portion 16 of the golf thumb brush tool 10 comprises a bottom plate 30 preferably with a similar shape and dimensions as the top portion 14 of the tool 10. The bottom plate 30 comprises a plurality of brush bristles 32 covering at least a portion of the bottom surface of the bottom portion 16. The bristles 32 may be constructed of a plurality of suitable materials, such as nylon, wire, or a combination thereof. The brush bristles 32 are designed for efficient cleaning and debris removal from various golf implements and golf shoes.

The golf thumb brush tool 10 can be detachably fastened to a towel 12 or another type of flexible material. The top portion 18 of the golf thumb brush tool 10 is adapted to securely couple to a bottom portion 16 and sandwich a towel 12 in between. The top portion 18 may include one or more spikes 34, as shown, that are configured to perforate the towel 12 and be inserted in two matching recesses 36 in the bottom plate 30 of the bottom portion 16 of the tool 10. A release button mechanism 38 disposed in the top portion 14 of the tool 10 may be used to push against the bottom portion 16 and cause the two portions 14 and 16 to separate and detach from the towel 12.

Other suitable means of fastening the golf thumb brush tool 10 to a towel 12 are contemplated. For example, the top and bottom portions 14 and 16 may have a hinged clamshell construction adapted to clamp to the towel 12. In another embodiment, a clip mechanism may be used to clip the two portions 14 and 16 to the towel 12. Another embodiment contemplated herein employs magnets to secure the golf thumb brush tool 10 to the towel. Yet another embodiment may employ a combination of these fastening mechanisms.

In yet another embodiment, the golf thumb brush tool 10 may be fastened by a hoop-and-loop fastener to a specialized towel constructed with a loop-and-hook fastener corner or portion thereof.

It should be noted that the golf thumb brush tool 10 may be configured differently as shown herein. For example, the pointed tool 26 may be disposed on the bottom portion 16 of the tool rather than on the top portion 14. Further, the thumb grip 18 may include the textured surface 22 without the thumb guard 20. Alternatively, a small finger grip in the form of a ridge may be used instead of the thumb grip 18 to enable the user to hold the tool 10 to clean with the bristles. As another alternative, the removable ball marker 28 may form part of the textured surface 24 of the thumb pad 22.

The golf thumb brush tool 10 can be easily fastened to a towel 12, and removed as needed to launder the towel. The release button mechanism 38 may be used to easily separate the two portions 14 and 16. Because the tool 10 is fastened to preferably a corner of the towel 12 typically fastened to the golf bag, it can be easily located and used when needed. The tool 10 is best used by “holding” the tool 10 with a thumb inserted in the space or hollow created between the thumb guard 20 and thumb pad 22. The textured thumb pad 22 and the thumb guard 20 ensures maximum grip and control of the tool 10 by the user as the brush bristles 32 on the bottom surface of the bottom portion 16 are used to remove dirt and debris from golf equipment. The pointed tool 26 can be used to clean grooved surfaces on the golf equipment.

Although the golf thumb brush tool 10 can be attached to a towel 12, it can be detachably fastened to other materials. The golf thumb brush tool 10 may be constructed of any suitable material, such as plastic, metal, graphic composites, combinations thereof, etc.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth below with particularity in the appended claims. However, modifications, variations, and changes to the exemplary embodiments described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the golf thumb brush tool described herein thus encompasses such modifications, variations, and changes and are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: a top portion defining a space adapted to accommodate a finger of a user; and a bottom portion configured to securely fasten to the top portion and sandwich a towel therebetween, the bottom portion including a bottom surface having a plurality of bristles.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the top portion further defines a recess configured to reasonably accommodate a ball marker.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the top portion further comprises a pointed cleaning tool.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises a thumb guard at least partially covering a thumb pad and forming the space configured to accommodate the user's finger.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the thumb pad comprises a textured surface configured for maximum grip by the user's finger.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises at least one spike adapted to meet at least one recess formed in the bottom portion.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises a release button mechanism configured to separate and detach the top and bottom portions from the towel.
 8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a fastening mechanism configured to fasten the top and bottom portions, the fastening mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a spike, a magnet, a clip, a clamp, and hook-and-loop fastener.
 9. A golf accessory comprising: a top portion having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface defining a thumb pad configured to accommodate a finger of a user; a bottom portion also having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the bottom portion having a plurality of bristles disposed thereon; and a fastening mechanism configured to detachably and securely fasten a towel between the top and bottom portions.
 10. The golf accessory of claim 9, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises at least one spike formed in the bottom surface of the top portion configured to pierce through the towel and meet at least one recess formed in the top surface of the bottom portion.
 11. The golf accessory of claim 9, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises magnets disposed in the top and bottom portions configured to sandwich the towel therebetween and detachably fasten to the towel.
 12. The golf accessory of claim 9, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises a clip mechanism configured to clip the tool to the towel.
 13. The golf accessory of claim 9, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises a hook-and-loop fastener.
 14. The golf accessory of claim 9, wherein the top portion further defines a recess configured to reasonably accommodate a ball marker.
 15. The golf accessory of claim 9, wherein the top portion further comprises a pointed cleaning tool.
 16. The golf accessory of claim 9, wherein the top portion further comprises a thumb guard at least partially covering a thumb pad formed on the top surface of the top portion and forming the space configured to accommodate the user's finger.
 17. The golf accessory of claim 16, wherein the thumb pad comprises a textured surface configured for maximum grip by the user's finger.
 18. The golf accessory of claim 9, wherein the top portion comprises a release button mechanism configured to separate and detach the top and bottom portions from the towel.
 19. The golf accessory of claim 9, wherein the fastening mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a spike, a magnet, a clip, a clamp, and hook-and-loop fastener.
 20. A golf thumb brush tool comprising: a thumb pad configured to receive a finger of a user; a plurality of bristles; a pointed cleaning tool disposed on one end of the tool; and a fastening mechanism configured to detachably and securely fasten the tool to a golf accessory.
 21. The golf thumb brush tool of claim 20, wherein the fastening mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a spike, a magnet, a clip, a clamp, and hook-and-loop fastener. 